You Are Here | Exhibition Curation & Experience Design

A woman stands in art gallery viewing colorful abstract paintings on white wall.

YOU ARE HERE

Roles: Curator, Creative Director, Producer

Presented By: Humanity United

May 21–22, 2023

Washington, DC

You Are Here marked Red Pen Consulting’s curatorial debut, a site-specific exhibition and experiential installation produced in partnership with Humanity United (HU), a philanthropic organization dedicated to cultivating conditions for peace, freedom, and human dignity.

The project was commissioned as part of HU’s programming for the 2023 GEO Conference, whose theme, Courageous Unlearning, called participants to examine how systems, beliefs, and behaviors must evolve to create equity and inclusion. Humanity United granted me full creative autonomy to interpret and design their event for the conference, offering only the theme and a desire to root the experience in the culture and identity of Washington, DC.

The result was You Are Here, a conceptually multidisciplinary exhibition that merged art, design, and storytelling to explore how courageous unlearning begins with seeing beyond our own stops, both figuratively and literally.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Woman in yellow dress standing in front of blue exhibition wall with the quote "YOU ARE HERE" and white polka dots.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT: Courageous Unlearning & The DC Metro

From the outset, I wanted You Are Here to expand the meaning of Courageous Unlearning beyond theory, to make it something people could feel.

As a native Washingtonian from Southeast DC, I began by asking myself: When was the first time I truly saw my city differently? When did I first begin to unlearn?

The answer was simple: the Metro.

Growing up, the Metro wasn’t just a transportation system; it was a passageway to new worlds. For many of us from DC, getting on that train meant freedom, independence, and the chance to see areas of the city that we may have only heard about, or didn’t have the opportunity to experience alone, without a guardian. Riding to Georgetown or even Gallery Place wasn’t just a change of scenery; it was a lesson in perspective. Shit was interesting. I had to figure out how to navigate more than just the stops. Some days, it was “how will I get out of this station for free without the station manager seeing me?” (lol)

That became the creative anchor of the show: the Metro as a metaphor for discovery, unlearning, and expansion.

Working with UZ Studio, founded by my fellow DC Native (which made this so easy, by the way), we built a visual identity that reflected this idea, drawing inspiration from Metro maps, color lines, and wayfinding signage. The design carried the feeling of exploration, transition, and courage that defines both unlearning and growth.

People standing and talking at an art gallery with colorful graffiti-style artwork on the wall.

Three people are engaged in conversation in front of a white wall with a quote by Warren H. in black letters reading "LOVE IS THE ONLY TRUTH." There is a flower arrangement on the floor at the base of the wall. The individuals are wearing casual clothing, and one person on the right is holding a phone.

Several red cards with yellow text on a white surface. The cards display motivational phrases such as "You Are Here" and "Courageous Unlearning."

A woman with curly hair and a black tank top taking a photo of colorful graffiti art on a gallery wall, wearing a blue denim jacket tied around her waist and carrying a rainbow-striped shoulder bag.

OUR TAKE ON THE THEME: Courageous Unlearning

Courageous unlearning is the act of letting go of deeply ingrained beliefs, assumptions, and biases to create new understandings and perspectives.

In art, courageous unlearning allows creators to challenge their own processes and the world around them, producing work that is more authentic, original, and transformative. For audiences, it invites openness, the willingness to question what we think we know and to see through someone else’s lens.

You Are Here invited participants to practice that courage, to examine what happens when we release assumptions, step into the unfamiliar, and let curiosity lead.

People gathered indoors at a social event, some engaged in conversations. The interior features white walls with art and motivational quotes, a high ceiling, and large garage-style doors allowing natural light to enter.

Two young women sitting on steps in front of a small set with cardboard and brick facade, resembling a miniature house, in an indoor space with exposed ceiling and large white columns.

CURATORIAL DIRECTION

At the center of the exhibition was Warren Hynson, a painter whose work and life story embody the essence of courageous unlearning. After spending more than half his life incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, Warren rebuilt his identity through art. His series, themed “Love Is The Only Truth,” explored love as a radical and restorative act, a form of rebellion against despair.

His vivid, expressionistic paintings captured both the pain of confinement and the liberation of forgiveness. Through his work, love became not sentiment but strength, the truest measure of courage.

Curators Chrystal Seawood and Demetrius Butler joined me in bringing this vision to life, adding depth to the narrative through their perspectives on identity, place, and emotion. Together, we transformed the gallery into a dialogue between love, transformation, and the act of unlearning.

People viewing colorful paintings in an art gallery with white walls and a wooden floor.

A red map of the Washington, D.C. metro stops on a white wall, with labels for 'CAPITAL HILL GUYS' and 'HUMANITY UNITED' at the bottom.

THE EXPERIENCE

Hosted at 507 8th Street SE, the two-day exhibition unfolded as both an art show and a reflective experience:

Opening Reception (May 21, 2023): A night of storytelling, conversation, and visual exploration where artists, community members, and Humanity United staff gathered to discuss what courageous unlearning means in art, love, and life.

Public Viewing (May 22, 2023): A quieter, open gallery experience that invited reflection and personal interpretation.

As Creative Director, I led all aspects of concept development, production, layout, and communication. Every element, from the brand design to the pacing of the show, was intentionally built to make visitors feel like travelers moving through space, story, and self.

IMPACT AND CONTRIBUTION

You Are Here represented a defining moment for both Humanity United and Red Pen Consulting. For Humanity United, it transformed the Courageous Unlearning conference theme from a conceptual idea into a tangible, sensory experience, one that prompted real emotional reflection among attendees.

For Red Pen, it marked the first independent commission where I was given full creative freedom, solidifying the brand’s role as a cultural bridge-builder capable of translating abstract ideas into deeply human experiences.

The exhibition strengthened Red Pen’s position in DC’s arts and nonprofit ecosystem, opening new doors for partnerships with organizations seeking to merge strategy, art, and social impact.

Art gallery with colorful abstract portrait artworks of faces on a white wall, and a blue banner on the right side with yellow and white design elements partially visible, and a blurred flower arrangement in the foreground.

REFLECTION

When Humanity United handed me the theme, they also handed me trust. There was no detailed blueprint, only belief in my creative judgment.

That freedom challenged me to think differently, to trust my instincts, and to lean into what “unlearning” meant for me personally. In creating You Are Here, I found myself rethinking what it means to move, not just physically through the Metro, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through life’s journeys.

Working with Warren Hynson deepened that realization. His story and art reminded me that love, the act of choosing it, extending it, and holding it, is itself a courageous form of unlearning. It requires releasing what we think we know about strength and control.

Even now, I find myself revisiting this project as a mirror, a reminder that transformation often begins with permission: permission to see differently, to move differently, and to love differently. You Are Here wasn’t just the title of the show; it was a declaration. You are present, you are growing, and you are exactly where you need to be.